Garment having a bustling construction



Jan. 19, 1965 e. M. GRAHAM 3,165,755

GARMENT HAVING A BUSTLING CONSTRUCTION Filed May 29, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ef-fruole m. graham b ATTORNEY Jan. 19, 1965 s. M. GRAHAM 3,165,755

GARMENT HAVING A BUSTLING CONSTRUCTION Filed May 29, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR g'errmde 777. g a am ATTORNEY Jan. 19, 1965 G. M. GRAHAM GARMENT HAVING A BUSTLING conswnucnow 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 29, 1961 INVENTOR gerfrudc m. gran ham ATTORNEY United States Patent ()fiice 3 ,165,755 Patented Jan. 19, 1965' 3,165,755 GARMENT HAVING A EUE'ILING CQNSTEUCTIGN Gertrude M. Graham, I542 Fentwood Road,

Baltimore 12, Md. 1 Filed May 29, 1961, Sea. No. 127,766 2 Claims. (El. 2-ZI7) actively in the festivities of the occasion, and particularly dancing and the like, without the inconvenience of carrying her train over her arm to allow her more freedom of movement and to prevent the gown from dragging on the floor and becoming soiled, it is usually the present day practice to bustle the gown by the use of strings.

These bustle strings are attached to the underside of the gown and when desirable, tied together for purposes of lifting the train and adjoining hem line sufiiciently to prevent the gown from contacting the floor and coincidentally forming a bustle with the displaced or raised material of the gown. In raising or bustling the gown it is important that the hem line should be the same distance from the floor all the way around for purpose of presenting an attractive appearance to the gown as well as the wearer, and to allow freedom of movement for dancing and the like.

The use of strings or tapes for this purpose has definitely proven by experience to be inefficient and unreliable; in that they tend to slip, become loose, tangled, untied and very difficult to retie, particularly by untrained hands at the reception, to the original position set by an expert seamstress in the fitting room.

An object of the present invention is to provide positive and fixed means at the bustle area of a wedding gown for forming puffs in said area by interengaging said means.

Another object of the invention is to provide multiple pairs of interengaging rings attached to the underside of a Wedding gown for forming a bustle or puffs when interengaged.

Still another object of the invention is to provide the rings with means to prevent their rotating when sewed to the gown.

A further object is to provide the gown with multiple pairs or sets of rings having self-contained means for readily engaging and disengaging the respective rings of each pair or set with and from each other, said respective rings of each set or pair being of the same matched or key color and the respective sets of rings being of different or contrasting colors for purposes of simplifying the reengagement of the matched colored rings to their original engaged position as previously set by the expert seamstress in the fitting room.

With these and other objects in view the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a three quarter elevational view of a wedding gown with the train in normal extended position.

FIGURE 2 is a similar View illustrating the appearance of the wedding gown after being hustled.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary and somewhat diagrammatic view of the inside of the gown looking towards the rear and showing the location of the ring members.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary and enlarged detail view of one of the supporting rings shown in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary and enlarged sectional View taken on the line 6--6 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary and enlarged view showing two of the rings and a portion of the gown as shown in FIGURE 3 in an interengaged position representing a pair or set of colored rings, in this instance the key color being represented as violet.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary and diagrammatic view.

illustrating two sets of rings, indicated as yellow and violet respectively, in interengaged position, each set forming a puff or bustle portion.

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged elevational view of a set of bustling rings, their key color being indicated as green.

FIGURE 10 is a similarview of bustling rings, their key color being indicated as pink.

FIGURE 11 is another similar view of a set of bustling rings, their key color being indicated as blue.

FIGURE 12 is still another similar view of a set of bustling rings, their key color being indicated as violet.

FIGURE 13 is an enlarged elevational view of one of the split rings shown in FIGURES 9 to 12, showing the reverse or rear surface of the ring, this rear surface being indicated as white.

FIGURE 14 is an enlarged elevational side view of FIGURE 13, illustrating the laminated structure of the ring, in this instance the rear wall or lamination is indicated as white and the front wall or lamination is indicated as green, as shown particularly in FIGURE 9.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals, each of which represents the same or similar parts throughout the various views in the drawings, particular reference being made to FIGURES 1 and 2. The wedding gown 1 and its train portion 2 is shown on the figure 3 in FIG- URE 1 in a normal train extended position for a gown of this type.

In FIGURE 2 the gown 1 is illustrated as it appears after it has been bustled by my invention to be hereinafter described in detail. The lifting of the train 2 and the adjoining area of the gown forms the puffs or bustle 4 and at the same time raises the hem line 5 sufficiently to clear the floor to a predetermined height as indicated at 6, whereby the wearer or bride may not be inconvenienced by the train of the gown for active. participation in dancing and other activities at the wedding reception.

In view of the reduced scale of the drawings shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the details of the invention have not been shown in these views due to their minuteness in size.

Referring to FIGURES 3 to 7 of the drawings and particularly to FIGURE 3, the invention comprises a plurality of pairs or sets of rings as shown at 7-7 to 14-14. The upper ring of each set or pair of rings as indicated by the non-prime reference numerals 7 to 14 is split as indicated at 15. The upper portion of the inner circular edge of the ring formed about the hole 17 .in each of the said rings is provided with a thread positioning notch 16 as shown. I

The lower rings of each pair or set of rings as indicated by the prime reference numerals 7' to 14' are whole rings and each provided with thread positioning notches 16' as shown in the lower portion of the inner circular edge formed about the ring hole 17.

The rings of each set are sewed to the gown in a fixed position at their respective notched areas 16 and 16' as shown at 18 and 18' in FIGURES 4 to 8. This prevents the rings from turning and particularly the split rings in ends or areas of the respective rings of each pair face.

each other for purposes of making it more convenient to interengage the rings and also to cause the engaged rings to lie substantially flat.

To interlock or engage the rings of each respective set or pair and at the same time lift the hem line sufiiciently to clear the floor and to simultaneously form the bustle by creating the various puffs of the bustle, it is only necessary to bring the lower rings of the respective pairs of the same or matching colors up to a position of registration with their respective matching colored rings, open the split portions of the various upper or matching rings sutficiently to pass the respective lower matching rings therethrough in a manner whereby each matching pair' of rings are held together or interlocked in a manner as shown in FIGURES 7 and 8 of the drawings.

. The rings are preferably made of a flexible spring like material such as a suitable plastic for this purpose whereby when the split of one of the upper rings is opened sufiiciently to admit the threading therethrough of one of the lower solid rings for purposes of intcrengagement therewith, the split portion of the ring will close of itself, due to the normal spring of the ring material, after the solid ring is completely interengaged therewith.

For purposes of making it more convenient to thread the lower or solid ring through the split 15 of the upper ring, the split rings 7 to 14 are each provided with the notched portions 15' at the outside edges of the splits 15 as shown in the drawings. By initially introducing the respective outside peripheral edge of the lower solid ring into the notch- 15' of the upper ring with slight pressure the split will open and the lower ring readily engaged with its respective upper ring of any given set.

By following the different key colors of each pair of rings, as shown in a limited manner in FIGURES 9 to 12 of the drawings, it is possible and quite simple for one who is not particularly trained in this field, to duplicate the original work of the expert seamstress who fitted the gown and fixed the sewed positions of the rings. In this respect, the present invention represents an advancement and improvement in this field, in that where bustle strings or tapes have been used for this purpose, it was found they would become untied, or slip, due to not being tied properly, diflicult to properly identify as to pairs for tieing', had a tendency to break and were extremely diflicult to retie, if at all, in the exact position originally tied by the seamstress in the fitting room. One had to be especially skilled to use this type of support for the gown to form the bustle structure.

The rings of the present invention are preferably made of a tough and durable laminated plastic as shown particularly in FIGURES 4, 6, 13 and 14 of the drawings wherein the respective back walls or laminations 19 of the rings are white or of a common neutral shade, whereby the rings will not show through the material of the gown.

The front walls or laminations 26 of the respective sets or pairs of rings are of contrasting colors in respect to one set in relation to another set, as shown particularly in FIGURES 9 to 12 where the respective key colors of the respective sets shown are indicated by color hatching in these figures as green, pink, blue and violet.

Where the weding gown is made up of very thin or open work material, such as organdy or lace and the like, the bustling rings may be made of a noncolored or clear trans parent plastic, whereby the rings tend to blend into the particular type of lacy or very light and open work material used. In this instance the respective transparent rings of each pair or set of bustling rings may be sewed at the notched area of the rings as shown at 16 for the previously described colored rings to the gown by colored thread, each set or pair of transparent rings having a key colored thread for attaching the rings to the gown. The attaching thread for one pair of rings may be blue and the attaching thread of another pair of rings may be pin. Thus the novel structural features of the non-transparent rings may be applied to the transparent rings to advantage.

Referring to FIGURES 3 and 8 of the drawings it will be noted the gown is provided with an inner facing or lining as indicated at 21 in this figures. This is old practice and provided for the purpose of increasing the fullness and to give more body to the bustle whereby the puffs of the hustle and their particular arrangement will be maintained.

The general arrangement of the pairs or sets of bustling rings and their specific locations as shown in FIG- URE 3, were determined to meet a particular design of gown as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings.

As may be readily seen the variations as to the locacation of the sets or pairs of rings as attached to the gown are substantially unlimited for purposes of adaptation to different designs of wedding gowns.

It is understood that not only one but two or more of the bottom rings may be attached to a' single upper bustle ring to meet a particular need, design or bustle effect.

I have thus described my invention specifically and in detail in order that its nature, operation and construction may be fully understood; however, the specific terms herein are used descriptively rather than in their limiting sense, and the scope of the invention is defined in the claims.

Modifications and changes of proportion and design may be made in the illustrative form of the structure described and shown in the drawings without departing from the invenion.

What is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is 1. In a wedding gown or similar garmentcomprising a skirt and waistline and a train, bustling means for fixedly supporting the train in elevated position and forming a bustled area to said gown, comprising a plurality of eparate independent sets of rings attached to and distributed over the underside of the skirt, at least one ring of each set being split whereby the rings of each set are adapted to be interengaged, each of said independent sets of rings providing means when interengaged to form a separate and independent puff in the bustle area for purposes of creating predetermined puff variations in the bustle structure, each of the said sets comprising a pair of rings, each pair being operated independently of the other pairs and each representing a composite unit of separately functioning pairs of rings producing separate independent puffs, each ring of each pair being attached and fixed to the underside of the skirt in a non-moving position in relation to its point of engagement to the skirt, the said rings of each respective set are spaced in a substantially vertical manner one from the other for various distances when in disengaged position in such a manner whereby upon the interengagement of the respective rings of the said sets of rings the said distances between the said respective rings of the sets will be closed for purposes of providing means for lifting the train and forming the puffs, certain of said sets of rings being positioned at predetermined different distances from the waistline of the gown for purposes of producing variables in the location of the pufis in relation to the position of the waistline of the gown and to create original effects to the bustle appearance.

2. In a wedding gown or similar garment, having a skirt and a train portion, bustling means for fixedly supporting the train po .ion in elevated position and form ing a hustled area to said gown, comprising self-contained readily engageable and disengageable means, comprising independent sets of rings adapted for ready engagement and disengagement, positioned on the underside of the skint for forming outwardly extending bustle puffs when said rings are engaged, each set of rings forming its particular puff portion and contributing witheach of the other sets of rings to form a bustle structure made up 5 of separate pufi portions, each of said sets comprising a pair of rings, each pair functioning and operating independently of the other pairs and each pair representing a composite independent unit and functioning separately to produce separate independent puffs, the said rings of each respective set are spaced in a substantially vertical manner one from the other for various distances when in disengaged position in such a manner whereby upon the interengagement of the respective rings of the said sets of rings the said distances between the said respective rings of the sets will be closed for purposes of providing means for lifting the train and forming the puffs, each ring of each pair being attached and fixed to the underside of the skirt at a specific point in a non-moving position in relation to its point of engagement to the 15 skirt, certain of said separate pairs being positioned on the upper skirt area of the gown and at least one pair of said rings being positioned on the lower skirt area of the gown whereby separate superimposed putfs are formed when the said upper and lower respective pairs of rings are interengaged.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS JGRDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

THOMAS HICKEY, DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY,

Examiners. 

1. IN A WEDDING GROWN OR SIMILAR GARMENT COMPRISING A SKIRT AND WAISTLINE AND A TRAIN, BUSTLING MEANS FOR FIXEDLY SUPPORTING THE TRAIN IN ELEVATED POSITION AND FORMING A BUSTLED AREA TO SAID GOWN, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SEPARATE INDEPENDENT SETS OF RINGS ATTACHED TO AND DISTRIBUTED OVER THE UNDERSIDE OF THE SKIRT, AT LEAST ONE RING OF EACH SET BEING SPLIT WHEREBY THE RINGS OF EACH SET ARE ADAPTED TO BE INTERENGAGED, EACH OF SAID INDEPENDENT SETS OF RINGS PROVIDING MEANS WHEN INTERENGAGED TO FORM A SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT PUFF IN THE BUSTLE AREA FOR PURPOSES OF CREATING PREDETERMINED PUFF VARIATIONS IN THE BUSTLE STRUCTURE, EACH OF THE SAID SETS COMPRISING A PAIR OF RINGS, EACH PAIR BEING OPERATED INDEPENDENTLY OF THE OTHER PAIRS AND EACH RESPESENTING A COMPOSITE UNIT OF SEPARATELY FUNCTIONING PAIRS OF RINGS PRODUCING SEPARATE INDEPENDENT PUFFS, EACH RING OF EACH PAIR BEING ATTACHED AND FIXED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE SKIRT IN A NON-MOVING POSITION IN RELATION TO ITS POINT OF ENGAGEMENT TO THE SKIRT, THE SAID RINGS OF EACH RESPECTIVE SET ARE SPACED IN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL MANNER ONE FROM THE OTHER FOR VARIOUS DISTANCES WHN IN DISENGAGED POSITION IN SUCH A MANNER WHEREBY UPON THE INTERENGAGEMENT OF THE RESPECTIVE RINGS OF THE SAID SETS OF RINGS THE SAID DISTANCES BETWEEN THE 